I am not strictly vegan or vegetarian, but I guess I should be...I am looking for recipes and suggestions on getting a complete protein w/o soy and w/ proper food combining. I am trying to avoid - because I am sensitive to soy, corn, gluten, casein, safflower oil, some nuts. How much rice : beans, etc. is needed. Whey is o.k. but how do you use it? How many g / day?

FROM ELISE
It is interesting to read about the views of combining foods like rice and beans for protein - and how the views on these have changed over the years. If you are also working to avoid soy and gluten and some nuts- is it because of an allergy or preference?

Some people who have difficulty tolerating soy as in tofu - can digest it well in other forms that have been fermented like Tempeh - or in TVP because of the temperature it has been prepared at -

It may be a good idea to get an appointment with a dietitian if you have many allergies - to be sure you are covering all your bases. As a vegan I don't use Whey - but then again - I use soy and wheat gluten, nuts and beans - and that works for me, and may not for you.

I had a dietitian recommend soaked almonds. So if you don't mind that kind of nut, you can soak a cup or two of raw almonds every night and then snack on them during the day.

Also, lentils and mung beans are a very good sources of protein. If you have a market in your town that specializes in Indian food supplies, you can find the red-orange lentils which are much tastier and easier to cook than the green ones. If anybody needs recipes, let me know.

I had a dietitian recommend soaked almonds. So if you don't mind that kind of nut, you can soak a cup or two of raw almonds every night and then snack on them during the day.

I would caution against eating 2 cups of almonds every day, that is A LOT of fat for one day.

It's important to remember that there is not actually a medical term for protein deficiency. According to Dr. Esselstyn the only people at risk of being protein deficient are those who are malnourished.

If you're getting enough calories from plant foods, then you are getting enough protein.